737 Sheet – American State Trials 1918 Volume X Leo Frank Document

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Reading Time: 3 minutes [333 words]

Here is the translated text as follows:

Pedro Gibert and Others

In 33 degrees North latitude and 94.30 degrees West longitude, a vessel encountered a suspicious-looking schooner. Despite numerous attempts to evade the schooner, the vessel, named the Mexican, was unable to escape. The schooner, armed with one long gun and two smaller ones, had decks crowded with men. The captain of the Mexican, realizing the threat, felt compelled to submit and hove to.

The schooner hailed the Mexican, ordering the captain to come aboard. Complying with the order, he used his own boat to reach the schooner. Upon arrival, five men jumped into his boat and commanded him to return to the brig. Once back on the Mexican, they escorted the captain to the cabin. There, brandishing knives and using threats and physical force, they coerced him into surrendering the money in his possession. Communication was then established with their companions on the schooner, who sent a launch to carry away the treasure.

After securing the loot, the assailants left the Mexican, having confined the crew below deck, destroyed the compasses, and damaged the rigging and tackle. They also set fire to the caboose, placing a tub of combustibles inside, and lowered the mainsail in a manner that would soon ignite. However, shortly after, the captain managed to get on deck and extinguished the fire before it could catch the mainsail. The crew then repaired the damages as best as they could and returned to Salem, arriving on the 2nd of October.

News of the incident quickly spread across various countries, reaching as far as the coast of Africa. There, Captain Trotter, commanding the British brig of war Curlew, was cruising. Circumstances led him to suspect that the schooner Panda, then anchored in the river Nazareth, was the vessel responsible for capturing the Mexican. Captain Trotter promptly took action against the Panda, resulting in its capture. However, the crew managed to escape temporarily. Despite thorough searches, no ship's papers or logbook were found on board the Panda.